Djou flew 9,000 miles each week round-trip flight between Hawaii and [[Washington, D.C.]] while in office. ABC reported that Djou faced a tighter-than-expected race with Democratic challenger [[Colleen Hanabusa]] in the home state of President Obama, which he won by more than 70 percent in 2008. There has been no incumbent candidate for federal office in Hawaii, no matter the party, who has lost in Hawaii's history.<ref>[http://www.hawaiireporter.com/abc-on-djou-the-number-9000-miles "ABC on Djou – THE NUMBER: 9,000 miles," ''Hawaii Reporter'', October 27, 2010]</ref>

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Djou flew 9,000 miles each week round-trip flight between Hawaii and [[Washington, D.C.]] while in office. ABC reported that Djou faced a tighter-than-expected race with Democratic challenger [[Colleen Hanabusa]] in the home state of President Obama, which he won by more than 70 percent in 2008.<ref>[http://www.hawaiireporter.com/abc-on-djou-the-number-9000-miles "ABC on Djou – THE NUMBER: 9,000 miles," ''Hawaii Reporter'', October 27, 2010]</ref>

==Issues==

==Issues==

Revision as of 18:27, 21 January 2014

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Charles Djou

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Djou previously filled Neil Abercrombie's empty seat after Abercrombie resigned on February 28, 2010. The seat became vacant, effective March 1, 2010, until May 22, 2010, when Djou won it through a special three-way election after Abercrombie resigned to run for governor.[3][4]

Djou was succeeded by Colleen Hanabusa in 2011, after she defeated him in the Nov. 2010 general election. Djou ran unsuccessfully to reclaim the seat from Hanabusa in 2012.

Opposes state bailout

In a press release on August 10, 2010, Rep. Djou explained that he opposes the latest bailout bill to be considered by Congress.

Djou said:

"This legislation affects areas in need of real reform: from our public school system, to the federal Medicaid program to tax policy. But instead of moving us closer to reform, this bill only entrenches the status quo and avoids making any tough, substantive decisions."[7]

Weekly traveling

Djou flew 9,000 miles each week round-trip flight between Hawaii and Washington, D.C. while in office. ABC reported that Djou faced a tighter-than-expected race with Democratic challenger Colleen Hanabusa in the home state of President Obama, which he won by more than 70 percent in 2008.[8]

Issues

Campaign themes

2012

Economy: Excerpt:Before small businesses, which are responsible for at least 65% of all new jobs, can begin hiring new workers, they need economic certainty. Certainty doesn’t come from higher taxes. I have never voted for a tax increase, and will continue to make lowering taxes my priority. Low taxes, fiscal responsibility in Washington, and tax relief for families and small businesses will stimulate the economy and fuel the recovery."

Healthcare: Excerpt: "I support market-based healthcare reforms that work. What is needed is tort reform. I have long supported a limit on non-economic damages for medical malpractice. Tort reform is long over due and I will fight for a $250,000 cap or three times economic damages for medical malpractice awards to help reduce the need for "defensive" medicine and bring down the cost of malpractice insurance. I also support allowing the sale of inter-state health insurance. Just two carriers provide over 90% of all health insurance in Hawaii, which reduces competition. Finally, we need to rethink the way we tax health insurance. The current structure of health insurance in the U.S. is an anachronism dating back to WWII. Rather than have corporations as the sole providers of health insurance, we should instead allow for individual tax deduction of health insurance and make the health insurance market a more "normal" individual choice."

Ethics: Excerpt: "All major public policy goals start with an open and honest government. After the series of scandals that tarnished the Honolulu Liquor Commission, I called for the wholesale reform and improved oversight of the Commission. When several Liquor Commission inspectors were convicted of bribery charges, I successfully obtained an audit of the Liquor Commission and called for the firing of the Liquor Commission Administrator and Chief Investigator. After months of intense work, my efforts helped secure the Liquor Commission Administrator’s removal and the voluntary departure of the Chief Investigator. Today this agency is rebuilding the trust that it lost. I also successfully fought to give the Ethics Commission the power to issue civil fines for violations of the ethics code and championed stronger ethics rules that have reduced conflicts of interest in Honolulu."

National Security: Excerpt "I support a national plan to protect America’s infrastructure and keep our communities safe. That plan begins with increased security measures for our airports, ports and land borders."

Environment and Energy: Excerpt: "I have been an outspoken advocate for recycling and energy conservation. I successfully fought to bring curbside recycling to Oahu and have called for reducing the City’s energy use. I will continue those efforts as your Congressman. I am committed to a long-term energy strategy for America and Hawai‘i that brings us independence from foreign oil resources. I will fight for federal support of Hawai‘i’s alternative energy projects and will only support environmentally-sound and responsible efforts to enlarge America’s domestic supply of oil, natural gas and nuclear power."

Education: "We need a reformed education system that puts children first. I believe we must turn education right-side up by making principals and teachers accountable for our children’s education and empowering parental involvement in schools. Principals in turn must have the resources they need, including adequate funding and the ability to remove underperforming teachers. The cost of the Educational bureaucracies must be reduced to insure that education dollars are spent in the classroom and teachers have the tools they need to educate our children, including continuing teacher education and training. That’s how good school systems work. We cannot continue to limit our children’s potential in school systems that don’t teach."

Faith and Family: Excerpt: "As a husband and father of three, I know that strong families and a diverse community form the bedrock of a strong Hawai`i and strong America."

Social Security: Excerpt: "Social Security, Medicare and other entitlement programs need to be protected, not abused and exploited. Frequent borrowing from social security to pay for today’s “priorities” has bankrupted the program. With unemployment at a record high and the cost of healthcare rising, the last thing our country needs is a tax hike or a cut to entitlements earned by senior citizens. We must keep the promises that have been made to our seniors. We cannot let Social Security go bankrupt. In this decisive time, we need strong leadership that will promote fiscal responsibility so that we can ensure these programs will be viable for future generations of Americans."

Second Amendment: Excerpt: "I believe that our country’s constitution very clearly gives individual citizens the right to bear and keep arms. Throughout my ten years in elected office, I have always supported and will continue to support safe, legal and responsible ownership of guns."